VIDEO: Fans Chant For Lovie Smith After Texans Hand Bears #1 Pick

Chicago Bears fans haven't gotten to enjoy much drama these past few months as their team slowly crumbled into obscurity. The season finale on Sunday made up for that in a big way. Everybody knew the stakes. A Bears loss would ensure them the #2 overall pick in the 2023 draft. That was the easy part. Then it was a matter of waiting to see if Lovie Smith and his Houston Texans could somehow pull off a rare victory in Indianapolis. Things looked good early. Houston led by double-digits multiple times during the game. However, things turned against them late.

Davis Mills threw two ugly interceptions, allowing the Colts to move in front 31-24. Everybody presumed the game was over at that point. They forgot that games are 60 minutes for a reason. Mills proceeded to lead the most incomprehensible drive of the year, capped by conversions of 4th and 12 and 4th and 20, the latter going for a touchdown. Even more improbably, Smith bucked his conservative nature and went for the two point conversion. The Texans succeeded, going ahead 32-31.

Indianapolis had 50 seconds to respond. They failed. Their last Hail Mary attempt fell short. The best part was watching Bears fans celebrate when it became clear their team would hold the #1 pick in the draft. Chants of "Lovie! Lovie! Lovie!" broke out everywhere.

Lovie Smith did right by the Bears yet again.

He was easily the second-best coach the organization has had in the entire Super Bowl era. His run in the mid-2000s and early 2010s doesn't get enough credit. The guy had five winning seasons. Marc Trestman, John Fox, Matt Nagy, and Matt Eberflus have combined for one since he was fired. It's rather fitting he ended up being the one that gave the organization a chance to get back on its feet. Few things can alter the fortunes of a franchise faster than a #1 pick. Myles Garrett did it for Cleveland. Joe Burrow did it for Cincinnati. Trevor Lawrence is doing it for Jacksonville. The same can happen for Chicago.

What makes it even juicier is there were already rumblings that the Texans might fire Smith after the season after only one year on the job. Such disrespect has become commonplace in Houston. Winning that game and robbing that organization of the #1 pick is a level of pettiness that is so delicious. If the Bears end up trading out of that spot, it means Houston will miss out on the top quarterback in the class. That would be a glorious middle finger by Lovie Smith on his way out the door.